George Santayana had irrational faith in reason - I have irrational faith in TV.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Almost Human 1.13: Almost Over?

The season one finale of Almost Human - 1.13 - tonight was good, with the mix of strong plot, humor, and pathos we've come to expect from this series. Unfortunately, the episode ended in a way which feels like the conclusion not just of the season but the series.

Dorian gets unmistakable evidence that Kennex really values their partnership - Kennex tells the review board that the partnership with Dorian is why he's continuing with his police work. Kennex clears his father's name. At last, Kennex is at peace with his work, if not yet his life.

There's still a lot to of unfinished business in this series. Why did Kennex's lover betray him? What's going on over the wall? What does the genius who went over the wall have in mind? Will Kennex ever act on his attraction to Stahl?

The all-important ratings for this series haven't been the greatest. The fast pace of television - not the presentation of the story lines, but speed with which new series must succeed or die - works against Almost Human's survival.

But it's earned some audience appreciation, including mine. The series has possibilities, especially in its treatment of just about every cutting edge information-tech now known or dreamed of. As such, even just this first season provides a great tableau of where our technological visions now reside.

But technologies continually evolve, and I'd like to see this series continue to provide this fictional accompaniment to our current accomplishments for at least a few more years to come. We've got a long way to go until we get to the 2040s.

About Me

Paul Levinson, PhD, is Professor of Communication &
Media Studies at Fordham University in New York City.His 8 nonfiction books, including The Soft Edge (1997),
Digital McLuhan (1999), Realspace (2003), Cellphone (2004), and New New Media (2009, 2nd edition 2012), have been the
subject of major articles in the New York Times, Wired, the Christian Science
Monitor, and have been translated into 12 languages. His science fiction novels include The Silk Code (1999, ebook 2012), Borrowed Tides (2001), TheConsciousness Plague (2002, 2013), The Pixel Eye (2003), The Plot To SaveSocrates (2006, ebook 2012), and Unburning Alexandria (2013).His short stories
have been nominated for Nebula, Hugo, Edgar, and Sturgeon Awards.Paul Levinson appears on "The
O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News), "The CBS Evening News,"“NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” (PBS),“Nightline” (ABC), NPR, and numerous
national and international TV and radio programs. His 1972 album, Twice Upon a Rhyme, was re-issued in 2009 (CD) and 2010 (remastered vinyl). He reviews the best of
television in his InfiniteRegress.tv blog, and was listed in The Chronicle of
Higher Education’s “Top 10 Academic Twitterers” in 2009.

e-mail received from a reader:Dear Paul, I just dreamed of airships flying between raindrops. I just returned from 2042 CE, where I sold my hardcover copy of The Plot to Save Socrates for seventy million Neo-Euros, because it had your response to this e-mail from way back in 2007 scotch-taped onto the inside of the cover. A Paul Levinson collector paid top Neo-Euro, because of the authentic archaic e-mail printout from you. It turns out that not many of your e-mails from before your tenure as CEO of HBO/Cinemax and terms as United Nations Secretary General will survive that far into the future. So, please respond to this e-mail, to help found my great-grandchildren's fortune. My Will will stipulate that they must share with your great grandchidren. Thanks! Tom